How Effective is Laser Hair Removal?

There are myriad ways to get rid of it: shaving, tweezing, waxing, and depilatory creams. But all of those methods have one thing in common — they are transitory. In a few days or weeks you’ll be doing them all over again. Hair removal can feel like Sisyphus pushing that boulder up the mountain every day, only to start over again the next day.

Fortunately, you can get rid of that hair permanently with laser hair removal.

The basics

Laser hair removal utilizes infrared light to eliminate unwanted hair by targeting the pigment in the hair follicles. The laser light is converted to heat when it hits the target area destroying the follicle. Since hair on various parts of the body will be in various stages of growth (there are primarily four stages of hair growth), multiple sessions will be necessary to completely get rid of the unwanted hair. Hair follicles that are in the anagen (active growth) phase have the greatest amount of melanin, which makes it the ideal time to remove unwanted hair because it will attract the most laser energy.

Does it really work?

Laser hair removal definitely removes hair permanently. Individuals with a combination of lighter skin and darker hair see the most benefit because the infrared light won’t be absorbed by pigment in the surrounding skin.

It takes roughly six to eight treatments spaced between four to six weeks apart to enjoy the full effects of laser hair removal. Each individual may respond differently, though, depending on individual skin tone and hair color. Hormones can also influence the results.

So, get rid of those razors, creams, and wax forever! Call us at Williamsburg Plastic Surgery, 757-345-2275, and let’s talk about laser hair removal!